Groton Pond History
1873: M & WR
Railroad line completed
1876: Forest Fire?
1883: Forest fire
of 2000 acres around the Pond (from Lanesboro over Owl's Head, Little Deer, Big Deer, to Stillwater
Brook around to Coldwater Brook
1908: Forest fire
on west side of pond (from behind Plainfield Camp up Jerry Lund Mtn and down the Pond
shore to about the Page camp (#002A)
1931: Town built
road to south end of lake from Ricker's Mill
1933, Nov 22nd : CCC starts construction of Forest
Road (Rte 232) from both ends
1934: Forest Road (Rte 232) and small
Stillwater campground & picnic area completed by the CCC
1937-38: Forest Road (Rte 232) widened to 2
lanes
1938: Hurricane
1947: Electricity
to the north end
1947 General Assembly authorizes leasing of
land in the State Forest
1956: Last train
through the forest
1959: Construction
of road around the north end
1959: Construction
of Log Pile Lane
1961: Boulder Beach
opened
1962 Lord Drive built to Goodines
1963- Act of 1963 - Natural Areas law set
Peacham Bog aside for protection
1963 Big Deer Campground constructed
1965: Telephone to
most of Pond (Molly's Pond Telephone Co.)
1966: Concrete dam
built by state - raised water a couple of feet
1975-79 Nature Center Built (with the hands
of John LaRosa)
1987: West Shore Road Constructed
To be resolved:
1938 ist stillwater loop complete, 1958 second loop completed
1955 Boulder Beach road contructed
1959 Boulder Beach, 1962- original large bathhouse
constructed
1965 stillwater contact station built